


Having a (Lot of Bouncy) Ball(s)

by HybridOwl



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, kid!Peter, new years fic, random science museum location
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 21:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17231228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridOwl/pseuds/HybridOwl
Summary: Tony takes Peter to a bouncy ball drop and meets a hot scientist.





	Having a (Lot of Bouncy) Ball(s)

“10, 9, 8...”

Beside him, Peter, 6 years old and skinny as a bean pole dispute his baby fat, is practically vibrating where he stands, clinging to the rope holding him back from the main floor where they were doing the drop. Tony can barely hear his voice over the people counting down.

“...7, 6, 5, 4…”

Tony had nearly turned down the invitation to such a public event, but when Peter had seen the mail, seen the name of his favorite science museum on an event for New Years Eve afternoon, with the slogan “start the new year right!,” the light in his eyes and his hopeful expression had Tony putting aside the trepidation at celebrating new years.

“...3, 2, 1.”

And then, from the bag hoisted high in the sky by a small crane, 19 thousand bouncing balls fall like a deluge 30 feet down onto the floor, and Tony barely has time to register how cool it is, wonder if he could whip something similar up on the computer for Peter to look at in the VR camera, when Peter bolts out past the rope along with some hundred other children.

Tony, along with everyone else on the floor, joins, them, and Tony’s chance of keeping track of his kid plummets to zero. He calls out for Peter, but people are still cheering, and yelling about the bouncy balls, or yelling for their own kids.

Tony spends a full minute in panic mode, searching and wondering how big a deal it would be if he called the NYPD now just in case kidnapping is about to be involved, when he sees Peter.

He standing in front of a man in a white lab coat with the science museums logo on it, the man kneeling down by Peter with his face gone soft and kind while Peter animatedly gestures towards his armful of bouncy balls, excited.

Tony makes it over just in time to hear the tail end of the man’s reply to Peter.

“It weighed roughly 400 pounds with all the balls, that’s why we needed that crane. It’s rated for twice that weight, but better safe than sorry. For science.” says the man, and Tony has time to see the handwritten ‘hi, my name is BRUCE’ on the science museums tag before the man, Bruce, glances at Tony. Tony registers brown eyes, a handful of gray hairs and laughter lines, in that breif moment. But Tony soon gets a better look when Bruce looks back, a lot longer this time, long enough that Tony reaches Tony and Peter.

Tony finds himself unable to look away, not until he’s on them and he breaks eye contact to turn to Peter, sweeping him up into his arms and tickling Peter while the boy squealed, dropping half the bouncy balls.

“What do I say about running off like that?” Tony said, stopping tickling to give Peter a serious look. Peter pouted.

“I know Papa, I’m sorry, but look at what I got! And I met Bruce!” Peter gestured to Bruce, who was pushing himself up from kneeling, and looks at Tony seriously. “He’s a scientist. Kinda like you dad!”

“A scientist, huh?” Tony asks. He gives Bruce a once over, trying to quell the knee jerk reaction of ‘this man is very attractive’ and move toward a more clinical assessment. He had the build to be a scientist, but Tony kind of doubted a real scientist worked at a place like this.

“Yeah, um. Radiology primarily, not robotics.” Bruce said, and huh, that was the subtlest ‘I know who you are’ Tony had ever gotten, and it lacked any sort of judgement too, super refreshing, “They needed a couple extra hands, and I somehow still have two. So.”

Tony, with all the willpower of a 6 year old in front of a plate of cookies, looks down at Bruce’s hands, and they are broad, calloused, and steady looking despite the fact that Bruce is fiddling with them in apparent nervousness. Peter squirms, so Tony shifts him to one hip, and snatches his eyes back up to Bruce’s

The man looks amused dispute his nervousness. Tony really hopes that it’s not because of how obvious Tony is being about checking him out, but Tony is somewhat out of practice, so it could go either way.

“Primarily? What are your other areas?”

“Oh, general medicine, radiophysics, biochem, nuclear physics, that sort of thing.” Bruce says, “I’m working on my 8th but they start seriously gatekeeping after the 6th doctorate so it’s been slow going.”

Tony puts two and two together, and finds the urge to kick himself intensely strong. still...

“Bruce _Banner_ ?” Tony asks, and Bruce shrugs, bashfully. Like it’s totally normal to find one of the preeminent minds on, well, _science_ moonlighting as a random worker in a science museum. “Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled, Doctor. It’s good to meet you.”

Bruce, Dr. Banner, _Bruce_ , blushes. Tony kind of wants to watch that blush forever. Instead, Peter starts complaining he’s hungry, clearly done with the boring adults. Tony sighs, but obediently digs out the package of chocolate covered blueberries from his bag, and hands it over to Peter.

Tony half expects Bruce to be gone by the time he’s finished, but he’s still standing there, looking awkward but also somehow determined.

“Can I take you two out to lunch?” Bruce asks, then flushes further. “Not that you- I was just here for the ball drop, so I get off in about 15 minutes. So if you want, we could go out to eat.”

Bruce is clearly in the process of letting himself down easy, but Tony isn’t done yet.

“Sure. I’m buying, though.” Tony says, and then turns to Peter. “That sound okay by you, kid?”

“Great! I had more questions for Bruce.” Peter says, happily. Tony watches Bruce for any sign of being put off, but Bruce just gets that fond look again while looking at Peter.

“I’m looking forward to it.” Bruce says, and then looks at Tony. There’s curiosity in his eyes, and what seems like interest if Tony’s radar isn’t way off. Regardless, Tony has either an intelligent conversation with someone who seems to like his son, and possibly the start of something a little more to look forward to.

Start the new year right, indeed.


End file.
